Why you should keep your CRM and project management software together

Bread and butter belong together.  Salt and pepper.  Peanut butter and jelly.  The same can be said of CRM and project management software.

There’s a debate raging about this very subject right now, so we thought we’d throw in our two cents, because we strongly believe there are compelling reasons why you should keep your CRM and project management software together.

On the surface, the functions are different.  They do, however, have similarities which weigh heavily toward the “pro” side of integration.  Ultimately, you are managing projects because of the relationships you have with customers.

That’s a thought to keep in mind as we examine why you should keep your CRM and project management software together.

Derailing the silo effect.

In any given organization, different people perform different functions.  That doesn’t imply they don’t need to talk to each other and share relevant information.  With project management solely in the hands of contractors and engineers (in the classical model), others probably don’t have access.

Supporting customer relationships means getting things done and responding to enquiries in a timely manner.  When work is compartmentalized to the degree that only a select crew has access to information about project timelines, budget and milestones, how are those in the customer interface realm to get to the information they need?

Functional silos which exist in traditional workplaces contribute to information lag which is unnecessary and can be eliminated by integrating CRM with project management.

Streamlined and efficient.

Running parallel systems which perform at least some of the same functions isn’t a cost-effective solution, certainly.  It’s also not a time-effective solution.  When disparate models are used, bottle necks occur.

How are customer relationships impacted, when information (which can be distorted in transit) is being passed from one hand to the next?  It makes much more sense to create an integrated system to which everyone involved, including client-side staff, has access.

Simply, the flow of information doesn’t get stuck in a bottle neck, or distorted in transmission.  It’s available, through direct employee interface.

Key advantages.

An integrated system allows client-facing employees to manage the customer lifecycle within the framework of the project.  This offers pertinent information in a timely manner and bypasses the middle man.

Deliverables become more manageable when teams are unified by integrated software.  With management, reporting and reminders available to all concerned, the effect is to streamline the exchange of information and more efficiently manage the customer relationship central to the project.

Customers are empowered by integrated software, as they’re connected in real time.

Lastly, a very compelling reason why you should keep your CRM and project management software together is ROI.  Return on investment is obviously enhanced, when you purchase only one package.  Instead of two subscriptions, you’re paying for one.

And there’s no company in existence that doesn’t like a better ROI (not that we know of, anyhow).

Commence Corporation brings you cloud-based CRM and project management solutions that create the conditions you need to excel.  Contact us.

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2017/05/04/why-you-should-keep-your-crm-and-project-management-software-together/